1989 Topps Ghostbusters II Trading Cards

It's a shame that the original Ghostbusters didn't get a mainstream trading card release when the movie came out. Although the sequel is dreadfully inferior, 1989 Topps Ghostbusters II trading cards are important for the sole reason that it's the first set to focus solely on the classic franchise.

1989 Topps Ghostbusters II is a very simple set. The checklist has just 88 cards and 11 stickers. This was fairly normal for Topps products at the time, but the configuration makes for plenty of sets when opening by the box.

Base cards come in a few different designs, all of which use bright blue borders. The majority of the set has an inner yellow electrical design that frames the photo. The bottom has the revamped Ghostbusters II logo and a traditional caption. There's also a subset sprinkled throughout the checklist called "Wide Screen SFX Shot" that aims to show exactly how the shot looked in theaters. Unfortunately, there are no real design elements outside the uninspired font choices. Finally, there are five cards that recreate the Ghostbusters commercial from the films. These have the image shaped like a TV screen with speech bubbles replacing the captions.

Stickers are inserted one per pack. Although they have a similar plain design as a lot of other Topps stickers inserts from the period, the lack of die-cutting makes them especially plain.

1989 Topps Ghostbusters II boxes have 36 packs. Each pack has eight cards and a sticker. Boxes also have a small promotional poster that was meant for stores to put up as an advertisement.

While this is the first release to focus solely on all things Ghostbusters, it's not the first to have cards from the franchise. Slimer and Stay Puft were among the creatures included in 1988 Topps Fright Flicks, a cross-license set that looks at the lighter side of horror.

Produced near the hobby's peak, there is no shortage of supply. As a result, boxes and sets remain very affordable. Even with a resurgence in popularity with anything Ghostbusters in recent years, prices aren't likely to rise much because there's so much out there. The small set size doesn't help matters either. The average box should have multiple sets, even with heavy duplication on top of it.

It is worth noting that more Ghostbusters trading cards might be on the way. Cryptozoic currently holds the license. While no formal plans have been announced, they're expected to have something in the not-too-distant future.

Ryan Cracknell | E-Mail AuthorRyan is a former member of The Cardboard Connection Writing Staff.
His collecting origins began with winter bike rides to the corner store, tossing a couple of quarters onto the counter and peddling home with a couple packs of O-Pee-Chee hockey in his pocket. Today, he continues to build sets, go after inserts with cool technologies, chase Montreal Expos and finish off his John Jaha master collection.